Blackboard Collaborate “Webinar”setup
1. Add users into your Class on Blackboard
2. If having a guest speaker, you need to ‘invite’ them to the Webinar as a ‘Guest’ (bottom portion of ‘Participation’ when you create a Session) and they will receive an email with a hotlink to the Webinar.
3. Well in advance of your First Use of a BB Collaborate Webinar, send each of your students and gueststhe link below and have them use it to check to ensure their system meets the necessary requirements:
Blackboard Collaborate web conferencing - First Time Users
4. Within your course Blackboard, you will first need to “Create a Session” (Only Course Builders can Create a Session)
To Create a Session
- Go to the Control Panel and expand Course Tools, or go to Tools on the Course Menu
- Click on Blackboard Collaborate
- Click the Create Session button
- Enter the Session Title, by default it is the name of the course
- Choose the Session Type (If for this course only, choose ‘Course’)
- Select Additional Courses if required
- Set the Start and End Dates and Times
- Set how Early attendees can enter the session
- If this is to be a ‘repeat’ webinar, select Repeat Session and complete details
- Configure the optional Session Attributes
- Most of the default settings can remain as set.
- Some attributes that might be of interest are:
Supervised - this allows the moderators to see all private chat messages during the session.
All Permissions - Turning this off removes the ability of attendees to use some of the tools in the session, useful for large groups.
Allow In-Session Invitations - This allows a Moderator to distribute an invite link to anyone who does not have access to the session through the Portal.
Hide Names in Recordings - If the session is to be recorded this will keep students' identities hidden. - Decide if you want theGrade Center to track if students attended the session or viewed the recording.
- Click Submit
- You will receive a ‘confirmation notice’ that the Session has been created and you will also receive a ‘URL’ that you can send to other individuals (other than the students in your course….who will automatically get an email and a reminder to ‘log into’ the scheduled Webinar) who you would like to invite to participate in the Webinar (ie. Guest speaker).
5. Inviting ‘guests (guest speakers’) into your Webinar
* See note # m in “To Create a Session”
6. Getting the Session started:
a. Participants will receive a notice “Session with (moderator)”
b. Click “Launch”
c. Click “Join.jnlp”…. “OK”, to launch the session
d. “Do you want to run this session”… “Yes”
e. “Windows Firewall has blocked some features:
i) Java….Unclick “public networks”
ii) Click “Allow access”
f. “BB Collaborate…Connection speed…Wireless 300 Kbps”….click “OK”
g. When your BB Collaborate Session Window opens up, look on the Left side, look for the small icons for Video (small webcam icon) and Talk (microphone) and ensure that both are ON.
h. Check Troubleshooting notes if ‘slow connection’
7. Chatting and Saving Chats
a. Use the written Chat window at the bottom of the page for asking questions, posting short bits of information, responding.
b. The transcript of the Chat window can be save by using File→Save→Chat
8. Transferring Files using ‘File Transfer’ (especially for large files or websites)
a. Look in the ‘Window’ tab on the top taskbar.
b. “Show File Transfer Library”
7. Sharing videos in BB Collaborate (3 different methods)
i.Through ‘WebTour’ (small globe icon on top task bar) – type web address/URL (ie. YouTube link) in address box.
ii.Through “Load Content”
iii.Through “Chat”…send the URL
* Note: If you would like participants to follow you as you explore a given website, click the box “Follow Me” in the upper task bar.
8. Recording session (link on top task bar)
* Useful pedagogy. Allows students who are absent to catch up on missed lectures/presentations. Allows students to go back and review anything they missed or would like to get further information.
9. Finding ‘recorded sessions’
* Go into the BB Collaborate tool in your course BB. There will be a link on the ‘Create Session’ page which lists ‘sessions’ and ‘recordings’.
a. Click ‘recordings’
b. Choose the recoding you wish to watch.
c. Click ‘Start recording’
d. You will get a warning “Do you want to keep ‘play.jnlp’ anyway?” Click “Keep”.
e. Click ‘play.jnlp’.
f. Click “Run”. Be patient for the recording to load!!
g. You may get a Security Warning “Block potentially unsafe components?” Click “Don’t Block”.
h. The recording will open. On the bottom task bar click the “Play” icon.
Support Guides for Moderators:
- For ‘Basic’ tips, refer to handout: “Getting Started for Moderators Quick Reference Guide”.
- For ‘Advanced’ features, see: “ Essentials for Moderator’s” - “Moderator’s Guide” -
Effective Management of a Session
a)Preparation
Audio and Video Setup - Upon entering a new session, you should first run the Audio and Video setup wizard. This tool will take you through configuring your headphones or speakers, microphone, and webcam. You should also direct any participantswho wish to use their microphone or webcam during the session to also run the wizard. The wizard tool can be found in the top right hand corner of the Video window and looks like a microphone with a red asterisk on it. You will see the same icon appear beside their name in the Participants window as they each run through the wizard.
Audience check-in- As the participants join the session and complete their Audio Setup Wizard, you should ask them to check-in using one of the feedback tools available in the Participants' window. For example, have them enter a green checkmark if they can see and hear you clearly. This allows the participants to become familiar with some of the tools that might be used during the session as well as informing you that they are ready to proceed.
Recording - A moderator can start recording the session at any time. When a moderator first enters a session they will be prompted to start the recording immediately. Moderators may wish to delay the start of recording until all or most participants have arrived and finished any setup that is necessary.
Loading Presentations - Loading and converting PowerPoint or OpenOffice presentations can take a while depending on the size and length of the presentation. Join the session at least 15 minutes before it is scheduled to start to allow time to load the presentation. If the presentation is exceptionally large, moderators can load the presentation and save it locally as a Collaborate Slide Deck, which will load considerably quicker. See the page on Sharing Presentations for more information.
b)During
Best practices for using the Collaborate webinar tool in a teaching and learning capacity will be forth coming from the Centre for Teaching Support & Innovation.
c)Post Session
Stopping or Finishing a Recording - Once a session has completed, the moderator should stop the recording before leaving the Collaborate Session. The session will remain open until the last attendee exits; if a recording is still on, it will continue to record the session until that person leaves. This could create a much longer recording than intended.
Viewing or Sharing a recorded session - If the session was recorded, the resulting recording will become available to all course members via the Recordings tab in the Collaborate Session Manager. There can be a delay of a few hours before the recording is available, this delay is mainly dependant on the length of the session.